Elatfqrm for harvesters



' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NojiiodeL) S. F. VOOBHEES. FOLDING PLATFORM FOR HAHVESTEES.

Patented July 3, 1888.

UN1IED' STATES STEPHEN, r YVIOORHEES.

PAT NT OFFICE;

OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

QEQLDLNG PLATFORM, Foe mavesrens.

$PECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 385,537., dated July 3,1888 Application filed October 17, 18 8'l. Serial No. 252,61-l. Nomodel) To alZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, STEPHEN F. Voonnnns,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county ofLenawee and State of M chigan, have invented a new'and usefulIinprovement in Folding Platforms for Harvesters. of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in folding platforms forharvesters; and it con sists in the peculiar construction and combination of devices that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and.particularly pointed out in the claims.

This invention is an improvement on the folding platform for harvestersfor which Letters Patent of the United States, No. 370,430,

were granted to me September- 27, 1887,1tud

the object of my present improvement is to provide alharvester or hinderplatform with a hinged joint, whereby that portion of the plat-V forni'carrying the cutting apparatus may be moved to a vertical position andthen swung around to one side of that portion of the plat form carryingthe usual gear-wheels and secured thereto, thus reducing the excessivewidth of the binder or harvester,and enabling the same to be readilytransported along an ordinary country road, over narrow bridges,

and through gateways, thus greatly facilitating the transportation ofthe binder or harvester from one farm to another.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspeetiveview of aharvester-platform.einbodying my improvements, showing the sameextended'to its full width. Fig.2 is a rear elevation of the same,showing the platform extended to its full position in solid lines andshowing in dotted lines the platform-frame 1 carrying the cuttingapparatus folded against the side. of the main frame carrying the gear"Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the is a similar view, the platformbeing shown in the position as in dotted lines in Fig. 2. Fig.

,5 is a detail view of the plate F.

A represents the harvester or binder, the minor portions of the machinebeing omitted, for the reason that they are of the usual constructionand form no part of my present improvement;

0 represents the main frame, and D repre- 'sents the platform-frame. Thelatter has the usual cutting apparatus, and in the main frame isjournaled-the driving and'supporting wheel.

The gear-wheels usually employed to transmit the power from the drivingwheelto the various portions of the machine are also jouri naled in themain frame 0. but are not shown an arm, E, the outer end of whichprojects beyond the grain side of the said frame,.the said arm E beingarranged in a. horizontalposition and secured to the under side'of therear beam of frame 0. On the under side of the front grain corner offrame 0 is secured a flat plate,

F, which is of the form shown, is provided at its front edge witha-vertical:-flang-atG-Pthat bears against the front side of the frontbeam of frame 0, and has at its inner corner at its rear side a verticalflange-plate, H,- which is secured to the frontside of a shorttransverse bar, I, that forms a part of the frame 0, the

said flange-plate projecting a considerable dis-. tance beyond thegrain-side end of the, said bar.

K represents a horizontal flat arm, which is formed with the plate F andprojects beyond ,1

the grain side of frame 0. At the front grain corner of the plate F isformed a vertical. plate, L, which bears against the grain-side end ofthe front beam of frame O,'projects forward beyond the said beam, and isprovidedwith a series of openings, M, for the attachment of awhiffietree, the said vertical plate L thereby forming a clevis.

On the rear side of the platformframe B, near the inner end thereof, issecured a,pair of curved strap-keepers, N. l 0 represents a hingedswivel-rod, which is journaledin thesaid strap-keepersN, is arranged onthe rear inner side of the platformframe E, and has its inner endconnected to the outer end of the arm E by means of a pivotal bolt, P.On the rear side of the said platform frame B, near the outer or grainend thereof, is secured a loop or keeper, R, which is adapted to receivethe projecting end of the arm K of plate F when the platform-frame isarranged in a vertical position on the grainside of theframe O. The saidloop or keper and the said arm K areprovided each with an opening, whichopenings are adapted to align 45 The operation ofnmy invention willtion.

with each other when the platform frameisin position, before described,and a bolt or pin, S, is then inserted in the said aligned open ings andserves to secure the platform-frame 5 firmly in place.

From the outer side of the plat form-frame '1, on which asupport- Dprojects a spindle,

ingwvheel, U, isjournaled when the platform frame is in its horizontalposition extended from the grain side of frame 0. From the upper-side ofthe platform-frame, at the center,

. of the rear edge thereof, projects a spindle, V, which is similar tothe spindle T, and which is in a horizontal position when theiplatformr',fram. is in the vertical position'before described, on the grainside'of the frame side 0. When 'the platform-frame isthus arranged, thewheel U is taken "from the spindle T and is journ'aled on the spindle V,as shown, thus enabling the machine to be readily drawn along anarrowcountry road;

When' the platform-frame is in its horizon .tal position extended fromthe gi'ain side of the frame G,its front inner corner bears againstthegrain-side end of the short bar I, bears against the rear side oftheflange-plate H,and

. is supported upon the upper sideof thehorizontal arm K. .Ihe saidinner corner of the said platform-frame is provided, further, withopenings W and'Xmvhiohwhen'the'platformframe is in this position, alignor register with corresponding openings in the plate H and in thea 'i 'mK, and bolts or pinsY are inserted in the said registering-openings andserve to se- 5 cure the inner front corner of the platform I fraineverysecurely to the plate at the front grain-side corner of frame 0.

In order to still further strengthen the con nectionbetween'tlieplatform-frame and the 4o frame 0, I provide-a bolt, Z, on. the rearside of frame 0, which bolt slides in suitable keepers,D D, and isadapted to engage a keeper, ,B', on the rear. co'rherof theplatform-frame, as shown in Fig. 2. j v

be very readily understood from the foregoing descrip- Hav-in g thusdescribed my invention, I

1, The combination of the frame 0, the arm E on the under rear sidethereof and project;

ing from the grain side of said frame, the plat-1 form-frame D, havingsuitable keepers. Ni ou 7 its rear side at the stubble corner of theplatform, and the hingedeswiveled rod O,jour-;

naled in the said keepers and pivoted at one end. to the outer endof thearm E, "whereby the platfornrframe ey be turned up backward to avertical position on the hinge-arm 0 and then have its grain end swungforward, so that the bottom of the platform shall stand up to thegrainside of the frame 0, 'substam' tially as described.

2. The combination of the frame 0, having the projecting arm Eon itsgrain side and pro videdat its front grain corner with the plateFfhaving the flange-plate H and the horizontel arm K, and theplatform-frame having the hinge swivetrod O journaled' to its rear sideand pivoted at oueend to the outer end of arm E,whereby theplatform-frame may be turned npbaclr Ward to a vertical position on thehinge-- arm 0 end thenhave its grain end swung for- Ward, so thatthebottom of the platform shall stand up to the grain side of theframeG, the inner front cornerof, the said platform-frame being adaptcdftobear against the flange-plate H and upon the arm K, and means,substantially as set fortlnto secure the said inneretirner of theplatform-frame to the said fiahgeplate and arm, substantially asdescribed,

3. The combination of the frame 0, having the projecting arm E on itsrear grain corner and the projecting arm K at its front grain corner,-the platform-frame having the hingerod 0 on its rear side near its innerend, the keepers N, securing said hinge-rod in place,

the pivotal bolt connecting the inner ends of the said rod to the outerend. of arm E, and the loop R on the rear side of the platform-frame,

near the outer endthereof, the said loop Rb'e ing adapted to receive theoutere'nd of arm K when the platform-frame is swung to a verti-

